Like It Is

Naomi Campbell isn’t a threat right now, but if she gets in a temper, then watch out for those stiletto boots.

In Naomi Is Out Of Control! she was in the dock. Again. Now it’s time to do the community service stint.

The nutty tempestuous nutty supermodel arrived today to do her week of community service in Manhattan as punishment for assaulting her maid with a Blackberry mobile phone.

She certainly arrived dressed to kill in six-inch stiletto and stylish cinch waisted coat and sassy shades and for all anybody knew she could have been on a fashion shoot. Officials are “concerned about her comfort” – doing an eight hour day of menial tasks can be hard on the feet, they say. I say, too right. I’m sure she had some stylish flats she could have chosen instead. Stilettos are a bit senseless for community server, but we won’t let a bit of common sense get in the way of a supermodel.

Perhaps she will change into the workboots she was carrying… and perhaps she has some comfy track pants and sporty combos that will work a treat for her community service. Even better perhaps someone will give her a boot to the head before they have her pop into her orange jump suit – like the one Boy George wore. Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: Naomi Campbell, supermodel

The future, as far as this season’s fashion trends are concerned is bold and bright. And frilly, and flouncy, and metallic.

There are skinny jeans and minis, swingy dresses and lots of leg. Looks like we can actually pick what suits and mix, match and create our very own looks.

So here are some tips garnered from some of my favourite fashion pages. Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: fashion trends, skinny jeans

The Skinny Jean that is. And, I have to say that on the right person they look pretty darn good. On the right person. With the right shape.

And what does this shape look like?

Errm… well. Super slim. But you aren’t surprised at that at all are you? Not at all. I’ve spotted a few people wearing them and, just as I said in my previous article the skinny jean has to be the most unforgiving pair of jeans ever. Except for their 80’s predecessors.

The women I saw wearing them Read the rest of this entry »

Who said cocaine is bad for your career? Not, it appears, if you are Teflon girl Kate Moss.

Less than 12 months after revealing pictures of Kate Moss allegedly snorting cocaine were sensationally reported in the press in September 2005, resulting in the loss of several major modelling contracts – Kate is back. Along with billionaire Sir Peter Phillips, Kate, known to be a style icon, is now creating a new fashion range for Topshop, one of the UK’s biggest and most successful fashion retailers.

Not only is she back, her profile has reached even dizzier heights than before, with her annual income estimated to have risen to about 30 Million uk pounds. More than enough for several lines. Fashion lines. What else?

Now, you might ask, how is this possible? Where are all those bleating, sorry, hypocritical, sorry big fashion names that hastily dropped Kate on the cocaine allegations protesting (albeit reluctantly) that having a coke-head modelling for them was bad for business because it might send the wrong message? Well, I’d guess that they are all in line with blank cheque books waiting patiently to sign her up (again) for, oh, probably around double her usual asking price. But if, perchance I am wrong, plenty of others are lined up. Ms Moss isn’t going to run out of work anytime soon.

By the way Chanel and Burberry were two fashion houses who said, according to reports, that they would no longer be working with Kate Moss. Burberry, according to reports in 2005 said that it was to end its association with the model following the cocaine allegations. Considering Burberry was one of the first to say “how high?” when Ms Moss said “jump” hypocritical doesn’t really come close.

According to the Business section on BBC News Ms Moss is currently featured in at least 15 major campaigns for clients, including Rimmel, Agent Provocateur, Virgin Mobile, Dior, Luis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Stella McCartney, Bulgari, Chanel, Nikon, Versace, Calvin Klein Jeans and Burberry.

Now that’s a coup that must make even Madonna shake her head and wonder where she went wrong. Probably just by being Madonna, but that’s a whole other story and we won’t go there.

As a recovery stage from drug use allegations the Topshop deal certainly takes some beating. Far more serious for some, however, might be the the fact that Kate Moss is credited with sparking the return of the skinny jean, mini dresses and hot pants. If this particular allegation is true, resign yourself to them being around for a long, long time.

On the day my article “What’s The Skinny On Jeans” climbed into my most viewed post category, I was more than a little exultant to find this article on MNSBC (thanks Geekigirl for highlighting).

“Fashion Trends Matter, but it’s still got to fit. New skinny jeans, leggings not for everyone, but colours can work for all” By Kathryn Cannon.

“While the catwalks have long dictated the important colors, fabrics and silhouettes for a season, they also have intimidated women by showcasing styles only matchstick-thin models could consider wearing and only trust-fund trollops could fathom purchasing…”

No! Really? We could have told them that for nothing. Could this possibly be an admission that perhaps it really isn’t the best thing for the fashion industry to blindly push a fashion trend that many of their core market isn’t going to feel comfortable even thinking about, let alone wearing? Maybe.

Still, since no one can quite bring themselves to kill the skinny jean right now a bit of a salvage job pep talk is necessary to lift the despairing spirits of those women, who desperately want to wear the “fabulous skinny” but really, really shouldn’t. Or can’t.

Cannon advises women to:

“Go ahead and buy those skinny jeans but just wear them correctly..”

Wearing them correctly means women should, according to Fashion Director Tiffany Wilt:

“Wear a longer top over it or something with a lot more volume.”

Like…erm… Bat-wing tops? Something even more voluminous?

“Or wear it with the jean tucked into a boot so you will get a little bit of balance at the bottom.”

Oh, you mean, so I don’t look like a… a funnel? Right…But how to get into the damn things?

Take heart ladies. If the article is to be believed there are plenty of camouflage options coming your way.Not before next Spring though. Trouble is, if you’re not the shorty swingy baby-doll type (skinny) or trapeze dress type (skinny) you’re going to be out of luck.

And busty girls are advised to beware.

And how about this to make your day: hemlines are going to be shorter.

Ladies are advised to do a few extra squats at the gym if considering the bare-legged look.

Actually, it’s about watches. Very interesting watches.

If there is anything that makes me drool and go weak at the knees it’s an unusual timepiece. Watches and clocks. O.K, – and gadgets. I love them. As far as clocks are concerned, whenever I travel I always make sure to take pictures of as many architectural clocks as I can and get their history too. Watches fascinate me because of their intricate designs and moving parts. How is it possible to get all those delicate moving parts in something so small?

Last week this blog, Watch Reports and I exchanged links. And already I like the site so much I just had to blog about it! So if you have zero interest in watches you should probably stop reading here.

Watch Reports is about watches. Beautiful, amazing, fascinating, gorgeous out of this world, expensive watches. Watches I have never seen before, nor even knew existed! Watches with wonderful history… and watches of the future.

I am one of those people who feels that they aren’t dressed if they forget to wear their watch in the morning. And I rarely forget. I guarantee I would never forget to wear some of these pieces. Can you imagine the comments you’d get if you wore one of these timepieces?

For now, though since the price-tags on these are likely to be ones that would immediately make me feel faint, I’ll just content myself with simply admiring these works of art and learning a little of their stories.

And the way, this post was completely spontaneous on my part – there was absolutely no prompting whatsoever from Watch Reports. Since it’s offering interesting content and not stuff for sale I thought it well worth giving this blog a plug. And of course it’s in my blog-roll.

I love my jeans. All eight pairs of them. It’s been said that I may have a jeans fetish. Perhaps. But I can’t resist them.

Outside work I practically live in jeans.  They’re comfortable, go with practically anything, and always in fashion. My favourite way to wear them is to team with a white tee or white shirt, a jacket with heels or sneakers.  Or with a cosy sweater and boots on colder days. They are the ultimate in cool casual that you can dress up at your will. Can’t imagine my world without them.

Believe it or not, Nudie jeans recommends waiting 6 months before washing your jeans for the first time to create your own custom worn look. (Of course, you knew that didn’t you?) Well worth doing. Wearing jeans should be like saying hello to an old friend, they should fit your form perfectly.

For the past couple of years my favourite jeans have been Levi’s Low Boot Cut 545s in Worn Black. I love the Levi fit so much that I never really bothered investigating other brands, just bought the whatever suited me – as long as it was Levis. This year however, acting on a tip from my style guru Geekigirl I shall check out Diesel, but only in the sales. I consider $200–$300 pretty steep for a pair of jeans, even if they are Diesel. Ouch. True Religion are on my list too, again, waiting for the sales. Time to try a new style and see.

The skinny on jeans is that the skinny “drain-pipe” jeans are in this year.  They are everywhere in the shops. Trying them on is a hoot. You need good balance (on one leg) or a good friend and a large changing room. All three if possible. You may not need help getting them on, but you’ll almost certainly need help peeling them off. They’re skin tight, moulded to you and look like they’ve been  painted on. Now I am slim, but even on me they were bordering almost on the indecent. Maybe I’d picked up leggings by mistake…

You’ll also have to point your toes to the utmost to get your foot through the leg. They also feel like they’ve been painted on you as well. There is supposed to be a skinny style for every girl… that might help sell them, but I’m not so sure it’s true. They may be trendy, but they show every single bump and curve, so some are going to have challenges if they are going to claim then as their latest must-haves. Should be interesting.

They may be called the “new skinny” jeans, but they are suspiciously like the 80’s “drain-pipe”  jeans, recycled. I didn’t like them then and I dislike them even more now, maybe because they are being touted as “new”.  I prefer a little more room to breathe so my style is a little more relaxed.  Meanwhile, I’ve heard that some are thinking that the narrow skinny jeans are going to be as popular as they were in the 80’s. I’m not holding my breath on that one. But even if they are, as long as there are some alternatives around, they can be as popular as they like.

High waist jeans and trousers are also back in. I tried on one of the “new” high waist styles and it felt…odd. Constricted.  That meant back to the rack with them, with the thought that maybe I’d  better stock up in case I can’t get my low rise, sit on the hip styles again.

I am going to Montreal later this month. I’ve heard of a great place for jeans on Rue Sainte-Catherine W… but I am being strong…I must… resist…

Call the Fashion Police!

There is something about summer that makes some throw any vestige of fashion sense to the (usually) non-existent wind. At no other time of the year is there so much that can be so wrong with clothes. Years past, I’ve shaken my head in wonder at the year’s line-up, firmly determining never to be caught dead in some of the offerings that abound. Lover of clothes? Yes.. Lover of all fashion on offer? Pass.. there are some things that are simply not me, I don’t care what the designers are saying. I’m choosy.

This summer’s contributions include cropped tops, hipsters, kaftans and (wait for it) ra-ra skirts! Ra-ra skits??! But often it’s not the clothes that are the problem, sometimes it’s the lack of them and what their absence reveals. Jiggly breasts, naked stomachs that may or may not be in their third trimester, yards of cellulite – and this is just the men. Welcome Summer! With a vengeance. I must have been somewhat out of the loop though, because I learnt a new term for a fashion faux-pas. Muffin top. I knew the faux-pas, just not that there’s an expression out there for it. Those of you who, unlike me, have been plugged in, will of course know that Muffin top is the spillage between crop top and hipsters that looks like… yep, a muffin. Then we have bingo wings (bat-like wings at the top of some arms, usually accompanied by underarm cleavage). Underarm cleavage, which, unlike breast cleavage is Not A Good Thing. We have cankles (swollen ankles made worse because they’re crammed into sandals that tie round the feet and legs). No doubt cutting off the blood supply. And let’s not forget the camel toe (clue: usually caused by overly snug trousers/pants). I’m sure that much information really wasn’t meant to be shared with the world at large…

There is some great stuff around. But you do have to pick your moments – and the clothes that bring out your best. It may look good on Kate Moss but will it deliver the goods for you? A bikini top and sarong are not a light summer suit, and belong, along with plastic flip-flops, on the beach. Not in the office. How people are able wear flip-flops on concrete pavements (sidewalks) puzzles me. Don’t they kill their feet? They don’t look comfortable. They turn feet manky and dirty in no time. But flip-flops are “in”. Everybody’s wearing them.

Loose linen trousers must surely be more cool than squeezing into the latest microscopic skirt or tightest hot pants.Cotton tops and Kaftans are great for keeping cool. – and more flattering than hot shiny sweaty tubes. Muffin top is not a good look (easily rectified by investing in some longer tee-shirts). Plastic bra straps – are obvious. And guys, white socks and dark shoes (whether or not you are wearing shorts) any type of sock with sandals, cut-off jeans with no underwear, bare chests in town, golf clothing not on the golf course… fashion statement maybe – but probably not the one you want to be making.

Ah Summer!

I have been searching for years for the perfect shoe. The perfect pair of pumps to be exact. Ones that look good (as they always seem to on other people) feel good (as they always appear to on other people judging by the ease with which they walk) and don’t cost an arm and the proverbial leg. I have many, many pairs of shoes. Alas, my most comfortable pair are not high heels, nor are they even vaguely pump-like. They are mid-heeled red leather boots. Perfect for winter. And jeans, Not so perfect for all my long trousered suits which I wear for work, nor for the summer.

There is nothing worse than seeing trousers brushing the ground, because they are too long. Pardon the pun, but that’s pants. So, I need high heels. But of my many heels that are beginning to fall out of my shoe storage not one is really comfortable. What gives? They feel o.k in the shop. I walk, pace, twirl. Fine. I hand over my money and get the things home, looking forward to wearing them to work the next day. By the time I’m going home, I’m wondering if my feet still belong to me. Will have to keep searching I suppose